Probe targets pilots, plane maintenance

May 30, 2003|By Ted Gregory, Tribune staff reporter.

The investigation into the plane crash that killed four Chicago-area people shortly after takeoff in northern Wisconsin Sunday will continue with a complete dismantling of the engines, an extensive review of the pilots' experience with the aircraft and an analysis of the plane's maintenance.

"We really haven't ruled anything out at this point in the investigation," John Brannen, National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge, said at a news conference Thursday at DuPage Airport in West Chicago where the plane was based.

He said he expects to file a preliminary report in one week. A formal report into the cause of the crash is expected in about six months, Brannen said.

The plane, a twin-engine Piper Navajo built in 1975, crashed just before 6 p.m. Sunday while taking off from Lakeland Airport in Arbor Vitae, Wis. Killed in the crash were two veteran pilots, Ed Vogler, 53, and Carl Price, 64, both from Naperville; St. Charles doctor Thomas "Tim" Lappin, 63, owner of the plane, and his wife, Anne, 61.

The Lappins were returning from a weekend at their cabin near Boulder Junction, Wis.

Preliminary evidence indicates the left engine or left side of the plane experienced difficulty during takeoff. The right propeller slashed through trees during the crash, Brannen said, while the left propeller did not.

That damage suggests that the right engine was operating at full power while the left engine may not have been providing power, Brannen said. Or, he added, the left propeller simply may not have struck trees during the crash.

Brannen said crash site evidence suggests that the plane's nose dipped at a 60- to 80-degree angle seconds after takeoff. Also the left wing tip was found very early in the wreckage trail, indicating the plane tipped to the left, Brannen said.

The left engine had logged 638 hours since its last overhaul, Brannen said, a length of time that is not considered excessive. Other experts said the engines typically are overhauled after about 1,200 hours.

In addition to dismantling the plane's engines, Brannen said investigators will be interviewing relatives and aviation colleagues of the two pilots to gauge their experience level with the Piper.

Ted Voss, an American Airlines pilot who regularly flew with Vogler in the Piper, said Thursday that Vogler had renewed his certification to fly the Piper Navajo in October by flying the plane for a designated number of hours, completing specialized schooling and passing an exam.

Voss and Vogler, who as a chief pilot for American Airlines in Chicago supervised 1,800 pilots, together logged about 35 hours since October in the plane that crashed Sunday, Voss said.

He noted that the plane was in excellent condition. He last flew the Piper Navajo May 20.

Price, who retired as a chief pilot from American Airlines in 1999, was not certified to fly the plane but had extensive experience flying a range of jet and propeller aircraft, Voss and others said.

Investigators also are checking to make certain which pilot was at the controls.

Records show that Vogler registered as the pilot-in-command and filed the flight plan for the trip to Arbor Vitae from DuPage Airport. But Price was flying Piper Navajos more frequently in recent months to accumulate flying hours needed to earn his certification, Voss said.